1.
secret plan; secret strategy; hidden trump card
A plan or strategy kept hidden until the right moment. Implies a clever or decisive measure that others do not expect.
秘策を用意してある。
I have a secret plan prepared.
監督は試合に勝つための秘策を練っていた。
The coach was devising a secret strategy to win the game.
売り上げが低迷していたが、社長が打ち出した秘策のおかげで業績が回復した。
Sales had been sluggish, but thanks to the secret strategy the president unveiled, business performance recovered.
A compound of 秘 (secret; hidden) and 策 (plan; strategy). Often used in dramatic or emphatic contexts — sports, business, storytelling — to describe a plan that turns the tide. The word carries a positive connotation, implying cleverness and foresight.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 秘策を練る: to devise a secret plan
- 秘策を明かす: to reveal a secret plan
- 秘策を用意する: to prepare a secret strategy
- 秘策を打ち出す: to put forward a secret strategy
- とっておきの秘策: an ace up one's sleeve
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 作戦: strategy; tactics — a general plan of action, not necessarily secret
- 奥の手: trump card; last resort — a hidden technique or measure saved for a critical moment
- 裏技: hidden trick; secret technique — a lesser-known method, often in games or daily life